Increasing Activity Might Boost Brain Power in Overweight Kids

In kids who are overweight or obese, becoming more active might help boost their brainpower. Among 101 such children ages 8 to 11, greater heart-lung function, faster running speed, and better coordination were linked to more gray matter in parts of the brain that are related to better school performance. This is important because overweight and obese youth tend to have less gray matter than kids of normal weight, and studies have shown they tend to have more problems with schoolwork. Although it doesn’t prove cause and effect, the study does suggest that being more physically active could improve brainpower, even if kids don’t lose weight. Source:Neuroimage, published online Nov. 22, 2017